Acts 10:34-48 CSB
Peter began to speak: "Now I truly understand that God doesn't show favoritism, [35] but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. [36] He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ-he is Lord of all. [37] You know the events that took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached: [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him. [39] We ourselves are witnesses of everything he did in both the Judean country and in Jerusalem, and yet they killed him by hanging him on a tree. [40] God raised up this man on the third day and caused him to be seen, [41] not by all the people, but by us whom God appointed as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. [42] He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. [43] All the prophets testify about him that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins." [44] While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who heard the message. [45] The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. [46] For they heard them speaking in tongues and declaring the greatness of God. Then Peter responded, [47] "Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" [48] He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
Given to the Gentiles
Have you ever wondered which verses of the Bible to reach for when sharing Jesus with someone? As a new Christian, I found myself overwhelmed by this question—alive with the wonder of my new faith and eager to pass it on, yet uncertain where to begin. Even now, I feel a flutter of anxiety when I try to speak on my own about what Jesus has done for me.
Churches and organizations offer many methods and scriptures for “carrying” the message of new life. But there is something telling in that word: carrying. If our words are not moved by the Holy Spirit, not spoken from a place of genuine love, they become little more than noise—a clanging cymbal, as Paul wrote. It is the Spirit who truly works in people’s hearts and gives us the words to use. We pray for that power not out of obligation, but because we genuinely care about the life of every person who hears the Gospel from us.
I remember those early years—going door to door with the college and career group in neighborhoods far from our own church. Many people were polite, but the doors stayed closed. What I have come to understand since then is that the work was never really mine to carry. The Spirit moves where He will. All I can do is pray for the person in front of me before I ever open my mouth and let whatever follows come from genuine friendship rather than a sense of duty. I used to picture a cartoon in my mind: a Christian sneaking up behind a stranger and hitting them over the head with a Bible. That image always struck me as an honest portrait of what it looks like to share the Gospel on our own steam.
We have been reflecting these past few days on how differently the Spirit works—how He moved in both Peter and Cornelius before either of them fully understood what was happening. Peter needed the vision of the sheet, lowered three times and filled with animals he was never permitted to eat, before he was prepared for his next step: bringing the Gospel to a man whom, only days before, he would have considered “unclean” and beyond reach.
When the Holy Spirit moved through Peter, the words simply came. What poured out of him in Acts 10 is the same core Gospel the Apostles carried everywhere, and it serves as a perfect template for us today. At its heart, the message is this: God plays no favorites. Jew and Gentile stand on equal ground before Him. Anyone who fears Him and turns toward Him is welcome.
This Good News was not a new invention; it ran through the Law and the Prophets, arriving at a single, historical point: Jesus is Christ, and He is Lord of all. Peter’s message hit the essential marks: Jesus’s baptism and anointing, His ministry of healing those under the devil’s tyranny, His death on a tree, and His resurrection on the third day.
Peter did not choose Cornelius—the Holy Spirit sent Peter there. Cornelius was a man who already feared God and lived righteously, yet something was still missing. No amount of “good living” can close the distance between God and us; it takes the forgiveness of sins that only the Cross provides. Interestingly, the angel who appeared to Cornelius did not preach the Gospel himself; he pointed toward a human witness, Peter, to carry the words.
What happened in that house settled the question for the early Church forever: the Kingdom of Heaven is open to the Gentiles. As Peter spoke, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word, just as He had at Pentecost. The Jewish believers standing with Peter had no category for what they were witnessing—Gentiles speaking in tongues and lifting up the greatness of God. Peter’s response was simple and profound: if God has already accepted them by giving them His Spirit, who are we to withhold the water of baptism?
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever felt the “anxiety” of trying to share your faith on your own steam? How does the reminder that “the work is the Spirit’s” change your approach to the people in your life?
- Peter’s sermon focused on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Why is it important that our “Good News” stays centered on these historical facts rather than just our personal opinions?
- The Jewish believers were “amazed” that the Spirit was poured out on Gentiles. Are there groups of people today that we might be “amazed” to see God move among? Why do we sometimes put limits on God’s grace?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You that You do not show favoritism. Thank You that the door to Your Kingdom is open to every nation and every person who seeks You. Forgive us for the times we have tried to carry the Gospel on our own strength or treated Your message as an obligation rather than a gift of love. Holy Spirit, move in our hearts as You moved in Peter’s. Give us the words to say, and more importantly, give us Your heart for the people in front of us. May we be witnesses of Your healing power and Your resurrection life. In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
